The new iPad Pro packs a bigger screen into a familiar body

The tablet market isn’t in great shape, but Apple is still convinced that the iPad represents the future of mobile computing. That’s where the Pro models come in: They’re designed to bring serious horsepower to everyday tasks in hopes that people could use them to replace traditional computers. Now we’ve got a new one, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, which replaces the 9.7-inch model we reviewed last year. After a bit of hands-on time, one thing is clear: If you’re looking for a premium tablet, this is one slate you can’t ignore.

The Pro 10.5 (which I’m now calling it, for brevity’s sake) is basically the same size and weight as older 9.7-inch Pro, which is no longer for sale. That Apple was able to squeeze a bigger screen into the same trim body is fantastic; the bezels flanking the left and right sides of the screen are dramatically smaller, which means there’s less stuff to get in between you and the glories of the internet. I was concerned that those smaller bezels around this bigger screen would make the iPad awkward to hold. After all, where are my thumbs supposed to go? Well, it’s not really a problem. The combination of a sleek body and minimal, one-pound weight means the new Pro is just as easily to grasp as older models.

Apple refined the display, too. Beyond the bigger size, it packs familiar True Tone tech that tweaks the screen’s color temperature depending on your surroundings, and refreshes at 120Hz. It was tough to see the difference in action (especially in Apple’s dimly lit demo room), but scrolling and writing on the Pro with an Apple Pencil was remarkably smooth. Don’t worry, we’ll compare it more thoroughly to the other Pros when we get one in for review.

Dana Wollman/Engadget

Now, there’s more to that sense of smoothness than just an improved screen. The Pro 10.5 uses a new A10X Fusion chipset; it’s a more powerful version of the chip we got in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, though it’s not clear how much RAM there is inside. Older iPad Pros had already reached the point where everything felt seamlessly smooth, so you might not notice a difference just swiping around and launching apps. Where all that extra horsepower should shine is when it’s applied to graphically intense games, not to mention the forthcoming iOS 11 update.

These Pros were running an early version of iOS 11, as you could probably tell by the dock at the bottom of the homescreen. To be clear, you are definitely not getting features like that when the 10.5-inch Pro launches next week. It’s still iOS 10 all the way. The wait may be a tough one, though: Apple showed off a load of new features that should make iPads more capable across the board. You’ll be able to access the dock while using apps to launch other ones, and even drag them into the two-paned multi-window mode. You can now drag content back and forth between apps, too, a handy touch for multitaskers. And some other features, like swiping up with four fingers to see all your running apps, feel a lot like ones already baked into macOS.

In other words, the line between iPads and Macs is blurring.

With a blend of improved hardware and a smarter OS, the new iPad Pro seems poised to shine when it starts shipping next week — stick around for a full review shortly.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

iOS 11 to Bring ‘Business Chat’ to Apple’s Messages App

On Apple’s Developer site, there’s a section outlining an upcoming iOS 11 Messages feature called “Business Chat.”

Business Chat wasn’t mentioned during the keynote event, but based on the text that describes the feature, it’s going to allow businesses to make themselves available for quick chats directly in Messages for customer service purposes. Customers will be able to find businesses using Safari, Maps, Spotlight, and Siri, and then initiate iMessage conversations.

Business Chat is a powerful new way for businesses to connect with customers directly from within Messages. Using Business Chat, your customers can get answers to questions, resolve issues and complete transactions on their iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Customers can find your business and start conversations from Safari, Maps, Spotlight, and Siri.

As The Verge points out, Business Chat will allow Apple to compete with social networks like Facebook and Twitter, where businesses use direct messaging functionality to interact with customers.

Features like Apple Pay and calendar integration will be added to the Business Chat option, allowing customers to make purchases right in a chat session, and it will also support third-party apps so businesses can develop custom features.

Apple plans to provide more details on Business Chat during a developer session that will take place on June 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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Tim Cook Says HomePod Experience Will Blow People Away

In an interview today with Bloomberg TV, Apple CEO Tim Cook said customers will be “blown away” by the experience of the HomePod.

“I think people are going to love it. I know they are,” said Cook. “I think they’re going to be blown away by the experience.”

When questioned about why a customer should choose to purchase the HomePod over the Amazon Echo or Google Home, especially considering it’s the most expensive of the three, Cook said Apple’s focus was on creating a “breakthrough speaker” that delivers a high-quality audio experience in the home.

“What we tried to do is build something that is a breakthrough speaker first,” said Cook. “Music is deep in our DNA, dating back to iTunes and iPod. We wanted something that, number one, sounded unbelievable. I think when people listen to it, they’re going to be shocked over the quality of the sound.”

A portion of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s interview with Bloomberg TV today
Nevertheless, Cook acknowledged that both Apple and customers want a speaker that does more than simply play music.

“Of course, it does a lot of other things, right, and all of those are important as well, but we wanted a really high-quality audio experience,” said Cook.

“There’s a lot of things you can do with it,” he added. “There’s a lot of things that Siri knows how to do from the phone. We’ll start with a patch of those as [Apple marketing chief] Phil [Schiller] showed today during the keynote, and then you can bet there’s a nice follow-on activity there as well.”

Cook said Apple has been working on the HomePod for “multiple years,” and as usual, it wasn’t focused on being first to the market.

“We didn’t have the first MP3 player. We didn’t have the first smartphone. We didn’t have the first tablet,” he said. “For us, it’s not about being first. It’s about being the best, and giving users an experience that delights them every time. We don’t let that impatience result in shipping something that’s just not great.”

Cook also briefly reflected on today’s iOS 11 announcements, ARKit serving as a “foundation” for Apple’s augmented reality efforts, and why he elected against joining U.S. President Donald Trump’s various councils and committees.

HomePod will be available in December for $349 in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. It’ll launch in other countries next year.

Related Roundup: Siri Smart Speaker
Tags: Tim Cook, Bloomberg TV
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Apple Expands Beta Program, Will Allow Public Beta Testers to Test tvOS 11

Apple today updated its Apple Beta Software Program website to announce that iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, and tvOS 11 public betas will be available for public beta testers in the near future.

Apple has offered macOS and iOS public betas for several years now, giving non-developers a chance to try out new software features ahead of a public launch while also providing Apple with extra feedback, but tvOS is a new addition.

For the first time, with tvOS 11, Apple plans to allow non-developers to install the beta software. To download the tvOS 11 beta, public beta testers will need to connect an Apple TV to a computer running iTunes using a USB-C cable. The tvOS software is then installed on the Apple TV using iTunes, with subsequent updates available over-the-air.

The tricky installation requirements are likely the reason why previous tvOS betas haven’t been made available publicly.

It’s not entirely clear when the tvOS beta will be made available to public beta testers, but during the keynote, Apple said iOS and macOS High Sierra would be available for public testers in late June, so that’s presumably when the new public tvOS 11 beta will also be available.

As for features, Apple has not yet detailed what’s new in tvOS 11 and it received little coverage during the keynote event aside from the mention of a new Amazon Prime Video app that’s coming to the Apple TV later this year.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 10
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Don’t Buy)
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‘Monument Valley 2’ Launches Exclusively on the iOS App Store

Amid a day of new hardware and software reveals from Apple, the company also announced the launch of Monument Valley 2, which is out now exclusively on the iOS App Store for $4.99 [Direct Link]. Released by ustwo Games, Monument Valley 2 is the sequel to the popular 2014 iOS game Monument Valley, which tasked players with navigating a princess through a series of increasingly difficult optical illusion mazes.

According to the developer, Monument Valley 2 follows in its predecessor’s footsteps with all-new levels that are “filled with illusory, meditative puzzles,” but this time players are guiding a mother, named Ro, and her child through the game’s puzzles. Ustwo Games notes that knowledge of the original game isn’t needed to enjoy the sequel, but the two games are set in the same universe.

Dan Gray, head of studio at ustwo Games says, “We wanted to find the perfect reason to return to Monument Valley, and the story of a mother who’s not only a parent but a creator of this world is a narrative we felt compelled to tell. We spent two years hiring some of the industry’s most talented people for this team, and we’re excited to show this whole new take on a game fans have been asking for.”

The game’s major features include:

• A standalone adventure – A completely new story from the Monument Valley universe. You don’t need to have previously played Monument Valley to enjoy Monument Valley 2.
• Individually crafted puzzles – Enjoy beautiful levels filled with illusory, meditative puzzles, using brand new interactions to explore the changing dynamics between characters.
• Contemporary visuals – Artwork inspired by an eclectic mixture of architectural styles, artistic movements and personal influences, each translated into stunning geometric structures.
• Beautiful audio – Immerse yourself in uniquely melodic interactive soundscapes, tailored perfectly to every step of Ro and her child’s journey.

Monument Valley 2 is available to download now on the iOS App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices running iOS 9 or later, and costs $4.99. [Direct Link]

Tags: App Store, Monument Valley, Monument Valley 2
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How to choose an iPad: A practical guide to Apple’s tablets

Update: Swapped our “best of all worlds” option with the new iPad Pro 10.5.

It’s been a while since Apple made choosing an iPad easy.

There was an overwhelming number of iPad models on store shelves for quite some time and Apple caught a lot of well-deserved flack for the complexity of its tablet portfolio, most of it centered around the difference — or lack thereof — between iPads. There were multiple versions of the Air and Mini, and that was before the company introduced the 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch Pro models.

Thankfully, the iPad hierarchy is now a lot simpler. The 12.9-inch Pro is the most expensive at $800, and its smaller cousin, the new 10.5-inch Pro, sits at $650. The 9.7-inch iPad, at $330, is your budget option, while the $400, 7.9-inch Mini 4 is the only small iPad still available.

Just because the new iPad lineup is smaller, however, doesn’t mean choosing the right model has become any less challenging. Spec breakdowns are one thing, but context is another. What good is a 12-inch screen if you value portability above all else? And why pay more for a top-of-the-line graphics chip if you only game casually?

In an attempt to answer those questions and others, we’ve evaluated every iPad pragmatically in an attempt to identify the most appropriate use for each. It’s a buying guide in the truest sense of the phrase: The merits and deficiencies of each iPad are laid bare in everyday language. To say it’ll lead to the perfect purchase is facetious — there’s no such thing, after all — but our guide should, at the very least, help you choose which iPad to consider and which to avoid.

The budget-conscious iPad — iPad ($330+)

The 9.7-inch iPad, unveiled in March 2017, is one of the most affordable tablets Apple has ever offered. It’s the cheapest option in the current iPad lineup, after the iPad Mini 2 was discontinued.

This is a great tablet for watching movies, thanks to a 9.7-inch Retina display with a 2,048 x 1,536-pixel resolution. It has a speedy A9 processor and a big battery that can go for 10 hours on a single charge. You’ll also find an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, two speakers, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, support for Apple Pay, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack.

Apple discontinued the iPad Air 2, but there’s actually little difference between the two. The $330 iPad is thicker at 7.5 millimeters, compared to the svelte, 6.1-millimeter Air 2. It also has a newer, faster processor than its sibling, and it’s a little heavier, with a bigger battery. But the 9.7-inch iPad lacks the cutting -edge processing power and the 12-megapixel camera found on the 9.7-inch Pro.

What’s that all that mean in practical terms? If you don’t demand a superior shooter, play the latest games, or run extraordinarily demanding apps, the iPad will suit you just fine. It’s comfortable in the hand and ideal for casual content consumption — reading, watching movies, casual gaming, etc. It may do for productivity in a pinch, too, and you’ll have no trouble snagging a decent keyboard. But for serious work, the Pro range is where to look.

It’s hard to find much fault with the iPad at $330. It’s the cheapest model you’ll find outside the used or refurbished market. If budget is your primary consideration, the 9.7-inch iPad is the obvious winner. Read our full review.

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The powerful and compact iPad — iPad Mini 4 ($400+)

If power in a small form factor is what you seek, the iPad Mini 4 delivers. An evolution of the much-maligned iPad Mini 3, it addresses all of its predecessor’s shortcomings and more: it’s got the same A8 processor as the iPhone 6, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, faster Wi-Fi (802.11ac), Touch ID, and a thinner (6.1mm) and lighter (0.65lbs) aluminum exterior.

But the differences end there. It takes design cues from the iPad Mini 3, has the same quoted battery life (10 hours), and sports an identical screen screen resolution (2,048 x 1,536 pixels).

There’s new software to consider. The iPad Mini 4’s updated silicon supports all of iOS’ multitasking features — Slide Over, Picture in Picture, and Split View. Split View, by far the most compelling of the three, lets you arrange and interact with two side-by-side apps. You can copy and paste text from an adjacent Wikipedia article into a Word doc, for instance, or watch a video while answering email. (Multiple windows on a screen size that comparatively small may be difficult to maneuver, granted.)

The iPad Mini 4 has chops in other areas. The 8-megapixel camera packs autofocus and aperture improvements over the iPad Mini 3, and the A8 — which powers the Apple TV, incidentally — can handle almost any graphics-intensive game thrown at it.

In sum, the iPad Mini 4 can multitask like a pro, take great pictures, and play the newest games. If those prospects excite you, go for it. But if they don’t, or if you’d like those features in a larger body, then consider stepping an iPad tier up or down. Read our full review.

Buy one now from:

Apple

The elephant in the room — iPad Pro 12.9 ($800+)

The iPad Pro is Apple’s biggest tablet, measuring a ruler-busting 12.9 inches. It’s thick and hefty, too, at about 6.9 mm deep and 1.57 lbs — a tad thinner, but heavier than the original iPad.

Justifying that footprint is what Apple’s been calling “desktop-level” performance and features, and our impressions support those assertions. The iPad Pro’s display is a whopping 2,732 x 2,048 pixels, higher in resolution than any of the other iPads, and driven by the A10X processor, a beefed-up version of the A10, paired with 4GB of memory. It’s well-endowed externally, too: The Pro sports a four-speaker array, a Touch ID sensor, an 8-megapixel camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and LTE connectivity. It’s a multitasking monster.

Accoutrements are only a part of the Pro equation, though. The real value proposition is ostensibly in the accessories. There’s the Smart Keyboard, an iPad cover with attached QWERTY keys, and there’s the far more interesting Apple Pencil. It’s Apple’s first attempt at a stylus, and the company’s touting its superiority to competing styli in the areas of pressure sensitivity (it can differentiate between hard and light presses) and battery (it lasts up to 12 hours).

All told, the Pro may be the ultimate iPad. It certainly delivers on performance, and extras like dual stereo speakers and Touch ID are icing on the cake. But it’s not for everyone. The Pro’s far and away the most expensive iPad at a base price of $800. Its immense screen is as unavoidably awkward as it is unwieldy — it’ll be tough to finagle the Pro on a subway, much less a plane. And the productivity tools that truly make it shine, the Smart keyboard and Apple Pencil, are an up-sell ($100 for the Pencil and $160 for the keyboard).

Apple’s angling for a very particular market with the Pro: enterprise and corporate users who might otherwise be swayed by a PC equivalent, such as Microsoft’s Surface. That’s not to say its features don’t appeal to the average crowd, but unless you’re willing to put up with the very real drawbacks the 12.9-inch Pro’s size confers, you might consider a more portable option.

Buy one now from:

Apple

The best of all worlds — iPad Pro 10.5 ($650+)

Perhaps Apple realized that gigantic tablets don’t appeal to the vast majority of folks. The smaller variant of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro — dubbed the 10.5-inch iPad Pro — will hit the sweet spot for a lot of people. It’s in many ways a carbon copy, albeit a smaller one, of its predecessor. The 10.5-inch iPad Pro replaces the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, however, while the screen size has gotten bigger, the device itself remains largely the same size, thanks to much smaller edges around the screen.

Under the hood, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro offers Apple’s A10X chip, which is touted as being 30-percent faster than its predecessor, the A9X. It also offers a hefty 64GB of storage, which should be plenty for most users. If not, however, there’s also a 256GB model, as well as a 512GB model, which cost $750 and $950, respectively. It’s also compatible with many, if not all, of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro accessories, including the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.

A big improvement in the new device comes in the form of an adjustment to the display’s refresh rate — it’s now 120hz. This should help maximize battery life and performance when necessary. Apple also upgraded the cameras to include the same sensors found on the iPhone.

For most people, this decision is a no-brainer. The 10.5-inch iPad Pro has portability and processing prowess in its favor, plus the added benefit of compatibility with future 12.9-inch iPad Pro accessories. And for many, the extra $250 will be worth spending for the improvements you’ll get.

If you’re compelled to pick up the latest-and-greatest Apple device and don’t mind putting down a few more Benjamins for the privilege, the iPad Pro is your best bet.

Buy one now from:

Apple

Conclusion

There is, as we said in the beginning, no perfect iPad. The iPad lacks the Pro’s audio and top-of-the-line processor; the iPad Mini 4 is the only compact choice; and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is a bit on the large side. However, there are iPads that are more suitable for some users over others. Want a cheap, relatively uncompromising iPad? The standard 9.7-inch iPad should do just fine. Want a top-of-the-line tablet you can fit in your briefcase? Opt for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro.

Ultimately, of course, a written guide is no substitute for the real thing. When it comes time to make a purchasing decision, reserve some hands-on time. Scope out the iPads at your local Best Buy or Apple Store, and get a feel for their respective strengths and limitations. They aren’t the cheapest investment, after all, so take it slow and weigh your options carefully.

Afterward, buy your iPad and enjoy the hell out of it.

Apple to support external graphics card enclosures on MacBook Pros, iMacs

Why it matters to you

Apple is working on beefing up the graphics performance of iMacs and MacBooks.

During Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote, the company’s Mac-themed segment introduced MacOS “High Sierra,” new iMacs, a beastly new iMac Pro, and even another refresh of Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops. For the new iMacs, Apple is injecting configurations with discrete Radeon Pro 500 Series graphics chips, which means the all-in-ones will finally support virtual reality headsets such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. But what about current iMac and MacBook owners?

Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi showcased a Thunderbolt 3-based external graphics card enclosure supported by MacOS “High Sierra” and Apple’s latest version of Metal 2, a proprietary application programming interface providing developers with near-direct access to a graphics chip. He specifically mentioned MacBook Pros as compatibles devices for customers who need additional graphics performance than what is already provided inside.

Starting on Monday, Apple is providing developers with a kit consisting of a Thunderbolt 3-based graphics card enclosure, AMD’s Radeon RX 580 graphics card, and a USB Type-C hub. This will enable developers to fine-tune their apps and programs to support an external graphics card prior to going live “in the months to come.”

Currently, the Radeon RX 580 is AMD’s top-of-the-line graphics card for the mainstream market. It is based on a tweaked version of AMD’s Polaris chip design that made its debut in the middle of 2016. The card consists of 2,304 stream processors, 144 texture units, and 32 render output units. It has a base speed of 1,257MHz and a boost speed of 1,340MHz, making it an affordable solution supporting high-end VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

But once the SIGGRAPH convention arrives at the end of July, the RX 580 will not be the fastest AMD card on the block. AMD is gearing up to launch its new Radeon RX Vega cards based on its next-generation Vega chip architecture. As we recently saw in a supposed leaked benchmark, one of these cards outperformed Nvidia’s $1,200 Titan XP card in Doom using Ultra settings and a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution.

Unofficially, MacBook Pros can support external graphics cards via Thunderbolt 3 by installing Windows though BootCamp. This is undoubtedly a big hassle, one that should be rectified with the release of the MacOS High Sierra public beta in late June. The latest beta (10.12.2 Beta 2) supposedly already has improved support for external graphics cards.

Currently, we do not know the hardware specifics of Apple’s own external graphics card enclosure outside its Thunderbolt 3 connection, such as the maximum size of a supported card. The size of AMD’s Radeon RX 580 reference design takes up two slots and sports a length of nearly 11 inches long. Razer’s similar $500 “Core” external enclosure supports specific cards measuring up to 11.81 inches in length provided by AMD, Nvidia, and their partners.

Based on a footnote on Apple’s website, its external enclosure plans may not arrive until spring 2018. That is when Apple projects to have support in place for the new iMac with its Retina 5K display, the new iMac Pros coming later this year, and other supporting Macs.

Apple’s AppleCare+ for Mac now cuts the cost of those unforeseen accidents

Why it matters to you

You will want to set aside some extra cash for AppleCare+ for Mac when you buy your new machine to make sure you are covered against accidents.

Mobile devices are awesome technology, allowing us to get our work — and play — done wherever we are. Whether it is our smartphones, our tablets, or our notebooks, the ability to carry our computing around with us represents a tremendous value.

Of course, toting around a $2,000 notebook carries some serious risk, as well, with the constant threat of dropping a machine and damaging the screen or other costly components. Accident insurance is a good idea, therefore, and Apple’s premium support plan, AppleCare+ for Mac, has now added its own accidental coverage, 9to5Mac reports.

Previously, AppleCare+ offered accidental damage coverage for iOS devices only, specifically the iPhone and iPad. Now, Apple has added similar protection for the Mac, with coverage of two instances of screen or “external enclosure damage,” that brings with it a service cost of $99. More extensive damage, for example, the intensely frustrating water damage, has a service fee of $299. Applicable taxes are tacked on.

AppleCare+ also provides 24/7 priority access to Apple experts, a boost from the 90 days that comes standard with each new machine. In addition, the plan extends the standard hardware warranty to a full three years. And the coverage can be purchased for Mac desktop machines as well because of course they, too, can suffer from breakdowns and accidental damage.

AppleCare+ for Mac must be purchased within 60 days of the covered Mac’s purchase date and Apple reserves the right to subject each machine to a diagnostic test. Pricing for AppleCare+ for Mac varies, ranging from $99 for the Mac Mini all the way up to $379 for the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

You can find out all of the details on AppleCare+ for Mac here. If you are in the market for a new Mac, including any of the refreshed machines announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference 2017, then set aside some extra cash in your budget for some additional piece of mind.

Apple still doesn’t know what to do with Macs, and WWDC 2017 was proof

This April, Apple made a peculiar move – it invited a select batch of journalists to see the future of its high-end Macs. Behind closed doors, the company provided a glimpse into its upcoming iMac and Mac Pro hardware. This rare, exclusive, off-schedule presser served an obvious purpose.

It was an apology to Mac fans.

“Don’t worry,” the company seemed to say. “Apple is still working on high-end, incredibly fast Macs, and that hardware is coming soon.” At WWDC 2017, we saw seen at least a portion of what the company has in store. New hardware debuted with a look at real-time movie scene composition in the Star Wars universe, complete with a cameo by Darth Vader himself.

It was an impressive demo that distracted from a less attractive truth. The Mac is still in a tough spot, and Apple’s commitment to it remains uncertain.

And on to the next thing

Apple devoted a half hour of its two-and-a-half-hour keynote to MacOS and Mac hardware. That sounds like more time than it is, and even Apple’s veteran Craig Federighi stumbled occasionally as he sped through features and demos at light speed. The breakneck presentation contrasted starkly against the full hour devoted to iOS and iPad Pro, which gave presenters more time to relax. Even the Apple Watch received about 20 minutes of stage time, which was devoted to important advancements, such as new Toy Story-themed watch faces.

Apple is iOS, and iOS is Apple – everything else remains optional. The Mac is perhaps most optional of all.

It may seem petty, but how Apple uses the time in its keynote says a lot about its priorities. Apple is iOS, and iOS is Apple – everything else remains optional. The Mac is perhaps most optional of all.

Still, the short run-time may’ve been for the best, because Apple’s Mac announcements were, yet again, light on content. MacOS High Sierra’s only consequential update is the switch to a new file system, which should improve performance, and could enable new features going forward.

Everything else is the kind of minor improvement Microsoft buries in Windows Insider patch notes on a regular basis. Safari’s faster, while Mail and Photos receive interface tweaks. The announcement of HVEC support encoding acceleration was almost embarrassing. At this point it’s widespread, as Intel added hardware acceleration of 4K HVEC in its 7th-generation Core. Last year.

The pace of MacOS is glacial. Microsoft may have a problem with over-promising the scope of its updates, but it at least delivers major Windows 10 features on a regular basis. MacOS looks positively frozen by comparison, and the updates announced at WWDC do nothing to change that.

The hardware isn’t as exciting as it looks

But wait! What about Mac hardware? Apple breezed through a slew of updates to the iMac and MacBook Pro, and teased the upcoming iMac Pro, its most powerful device ever. Certainly, that’s worth excitement?

Well…no. Not really.

Let’s deal with the updates first. Apple showed off numerous enhancements to the MacBook Pro and iMac line, with a focus on CPU and GPU hardware. Intel’s 7th-gen Core processors are now standard across the board, and some models now have better discrete graphics.

That’s good, obviously. An upgrade is an upgrade. Yet this hardware isn’t new. Launching the new MacBook Pros without Intel’s latest hardware was a miss, and Apple doesn’t deserve accolades for finally making the switch over half a year later. The iMac is also late to make the switch.

Apple’s vision of tomorrow’s PC is in an awkward place.

Which brings us to the iMac Pro, most exciting of all the announcements. This is Apple’s attempt to convince professionals that Apple still cares about performance, and it looks convincing at a glance. The iMac Pro will combine a gorgeous 5K display with AMD’s new Vega GPU and Intel’s latest 18-core processor. It’ll even support up to 128GB of memory.

It’d be bleeding-edge stuff if it launched today. It’s not. Instead it’s shipping in December. By then, all the major Windows PC builders will have their own 18-core, Vega-capable desktops available. They too will be available with 5K displays – or 8K, if you buy Dell’s latest. And unlike the iMac Pro, they’ll be easily serviceable and upgradable, so owners can update as new hardware comes out.

Where’s Apple going with Mac?

The keynote was more than just a disappoint for MacOS fans. It was also a reminder that Apple’s vision of tomorrow’s PC is in an awkward place. It’s split across two operating systems, MacOS and iOS. While the former is far more capable today, Apple seems to think the latter is the real future – even for professional users.

That led to awkward moments. Take the iPad Pro’s new display, for example. The new models can refresh at up to 120Hz, yet can also refresh at slower speeds, depending on the content shown. This adaptive refresh rate technology is akin to PC technologies like G-Sync and FreeSync. Such technology remains nowhere to be seen on the Mac. In fact, none of Apple’s iMacs or MacBooks ship with a display that can refresh more than 60 times per second.

A similar dilemma plagues touch support. The iPad Pro with Apple Pen has all kinds of fancy tricks. It can add notes to documents or create artwork in Adobe Photoshop, features that touchscreen PCs can also claim. The Mac, meanwhile, is left out. Stylus support isn’t part of the OS, and only possible in specific software with the purchase of an expensive third-party touch display, like Wacom’s $2,800 Cintiq 27QHD Touch.

The new iMac Pro will be fast, and it will be beautiful – but don’t be fooled. Macs stand on thin ice. They’re overshadowed by iOS in developer and designer attention, and the quality of the Mac continues to suffer. The iMac Pro is a very expensive, elegantly designed Band-Aid applied to a patient in desperate need of surgery.

Supreme Court to decide what’s required to get location records from your carrier

The appeal of a 2011 case where 12,898 pieces of evidence were gathered without a warrant is being heard by the highest court in the land.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case to decide if government officers need a warrant to access your cell phone’s location history. The ACLU is co-counsel in the Carpenter v United States case, which is the first of its kind to be heard by the court as previous petitions were denied.

ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project staff attorney Nathan Fred Wessler had the following to say:

Because cell phone location records can reveal countless private details of our lives, police should only be able to access them by getting a warrant based on probable cause. The time has come for the Supreme Court to make clear that the longstanding protections of the Fourth Amendment apply with undiminished force to these kinds of sensitive digital records.

The case is an appeal of a 2011 case where law enforcement obtained months worth of location data from Timothy Carpenter’s cell carrier in a robbery investigation. The records cover 127 days and 12,898 separate data points were released without a probable-cause warrant.

We’re hopeful that rules about how and when that data can be obtained will arise from this case.

The ACLU claims that “Police seek these kinds of cell phone location records from phone companies tens of thousands of times each year” without a warrant, but instead simply a request to the carrier. But many jurisdictions do not require a warrant to obtain such information, based on a 2015 U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court ruling.

We understand that information like location data can be a valuable tool for law enforcement and help keep us all safe. But we’re hopeful that rules about how and when that data can be obtained will arise from this case.